Reasons:

- See the world in a different way. 

+ Students who took time off before college gained a greater understanding of the
world we live in:

94% said their time spent abroad helped them learn to communicate with
people from different backgrounds

93% report an increased interest in people from around the world,

90% said they have a better understanding and respect for cultures different
from their own.

+ And most of the time, learning by doing is much more impactful than any
wisdom a college professor can impart.

- Determine your real goals and the best way to achieve them. 

+ If you’re unsure what area you want to study in, it may not make sense to head
straight to school.

+ Spending a gap year traveling abroad can help you determine your goals before
you select a college major or choose a career track you may be stuck with for the
bulk of your entire life.

(Figure: Gap Year Association data noted that 84% of respondents to their study
said their time abroad helped them learn skills that helped them become successful
in their work. 77% said their gap year helped them find their purpose in life, 75%
said it helped them get a job, and 73% reported their gap year helped them prepare
for college.)

- Gain valuable career experience

+ Gap year is often a great way to get first-hand experience specifically related to
the career you want.

+. That can help set you apart in the future when you're applying to jobs or grad
school.
 + There are numerous organized gap year programs that provide an educational
component and the structure some students need. Examples  Aardvark Israel, Art
History Abroad, and Gap Year South Africa

Action:
+ Whether you’re a parent of a child getting ready to graduate from high school
or a student wondering if they should head straight to a university, it never hurts to
consider taking some time off.

+ there will never be an easier time in your life to take a gap year. As you get
older, things like student loans, mortgages, families, and jobs making it harder and
harder to achieve your goal of a gap year the longer you wait.

+ Postponing your gap year can often mean it won't happen at all, so take
advantage of one of the few times when you can uproot your life and try something new
without lots of things holding you back.